1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly for positioning a protective member adjacent an inner surface of a piece of glazing of a mass transit vehicle window and, in particular, concerns an assembly that facilitates removal and replacement of the protective sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that public transportation vehicles including motor vehicles, subways systems and trains become a haven for vandals malicious acts. In particular, hoodlums will deface the interior side of vehicle window panes by using knives and other sharp instruments and carving names, inscriptions, and vulgar messages into the glazing of the window resulting in permanent damage to the glazing of the window. Vandalism to these interior windows may also take the form of defacement with magic markers, spray paint and in some extreme cases, puncturing or shattering of the glazing, creating an expensive, time consuming task of window replacement. As a result, the public transportation vehicle will be out of service, incurring lost revenue for the city and limiting the transportation available for the public. For the most part, malicious damage to the interior surface of the window glazing occurs more frequently than damage to the exterior surface of the glazing because the hoodlums can work in a more inconspicuous manner without the public taking notice.
To address this need, various window brackets have been developed to retain and secure a protective sheet of material adjacent the inner surface of the glazing of the vehicle window. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,207 to Carson discloses an apparatus that comprises a flexible, transparent sheet of plastic that is secured adjacent the interior side of the window glazing. A fixed bracket mounted along three sides of the vehicle window glazing and a removable bracket along the fourth edge of the window are used to retain the protective sheet of plastic. The removable bracket encloses the fourth edge of the protective sheet of plastic and is attached to the vehicle window frame with a plurality of threaded fasteners.
While the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,207 adequately protects the interior surface of the window against defacing, the replacement of the protective sheet of plastic can take time. To remove the protective member, first requires the removal of a plurality of threaded fasteners that attach the removable bracket across the fourth edge of the vehicle window glazing. Upon removal of bracket, the protective member is removed and replaced with a new member and the retaining bracket reattached by inserting and tightening the screw fasteners.
Moreover, the repeated removal and insertion of the screw fasteners can ultimately damage the underlying window frame. The window frame is often constructed from soft metal such as aluminum, whereas the threaded fasteners securing the removable bracket are often manufactured from hardened metal. Repeated installation and removal of the fasteners to the window frame can result in the fasteners stripping the window frame such that individual fasteners no longer secure the bracket to the window frame.
Hence, it will be appreciated that there is a continuing need to for a sacrificial protective window system that provides rapid replacement of the sacrificial window panel in a simplified, inexpensive manner. To this end, there is a system of protecting the glazing of windows from damage that is not labor intensive nor result in damage over time to the window frame itself.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied in one aspect by a glazing protection assembly that includes at least one retainer that attach to the window frame adjacent an inner surface of the glazing, wherein the at least one retainer define at least one space that is adjacent the inner surface of the glazing. The glazing protection assembly also includes a sacrificial member that is positioned adjacent the inner surface of the glazing so that the outer perimeter of the sacrificial member is positioned within the space defined by the at least one retainer such that the at least one retainer retain the sacrificial layer adjacent the inner surface of the piece of glazing. A retaining fastener is also coupled the at least one retainer so as to extend into the space. The retaining fastener is preferably positioned such that it captures the sacrificial member in the at least one space defined by the at least one retainer such that the sacrificial member is inhibited from moving in the at least one space. The sacrificial member is also sized such that when the retaining fastener is removed from the at least one space, the sacrificial member can move within the at least one space so that a perimeter edge of the sacrificial member is removed from the at least one space to thereby permit the sacrificial member to be removed from the at least one retainer. In one particular embodiment, the sacrificial member is comprised of a flexible member such that once the edge is exposed, the sacrificial member can be bent to thereby remove the edge from proximity to the recess to thereby permit removal of the sacrificial member.
In this way, sacrificial members can be removed quickly by removal of the at least one fastener. The fastener is attached to the at least one retainer and, in one embodiment, the at least one retainer is formed of a sufficiently rigid material that repeated removal and replacement of the at least one fastener does not damage the plurality of retainers. In one embodiment, the at least one retainer is comprised of a plurality of retainers that define the at least one space.
Moreover, in one aspect, the at least one retainer is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing window. In particular, the at least one retainer has a retaining edge that is inserted between a gasket and the inner surface of the piece of glazing in an existing window so that the plurality of retainers is retained by the gasket. In this way, existing windows can be retrofitted with a security device without requiring the use of tools and the like. In one particular embodiment, the at least one retainer has interlocking ends to inhibit unauthorized removal.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.